GeekTalk 2.0

Dear AmEx…

…it looks like our relationship must continuously bounce on this blog. Maybe that’s the way you like it.

Since I left Ketchum, I applied to get my Corporate card back; I reported on this less than perfect experience here, but you were quick to address it by having someone (Marco) calling me immediately afterwards (october 2012) and dealing with my file voice to voice (instead of machine to voice).

Marco clarified that, being mine a newly formed company, they needed to wait a few months, which seemed reasonable; Marco recalled me at end january saying that time may be right now. So I sent him the required documentation (february 14th).

Today I receive an email from AmEx saying the realize the experience of having my application declined (did you, really? news to me!) may have been unpleasant, can I please fill in a questionnaire on how to improve the service. When I do, the questionnaire does not allow me to post any comment that is specific to my case but rather to vote whether Marco was counsel-oriented and helped me deal with AmEx, and crap like that.

So instead of voicing the reason why I am puzzled to you in private, you essentially force me to do it in public. Yet you already know I will do it, don’t you?

Here it comes:

I have been a customer for 31 years, never bounced a bill, never paid but 100% in full. Not once in 372 monthly statements.

I have had a Corporate card for another 15 years; when Ketchum forced me to give it back because of corporate policy (february 2012) you called me twice to say how sorry you were and how much you’d like to have me back as a customer. When finally I come back, you reject me. WTF?!?!?

Your good employee Marco called me more than once to obtain the documents until I sent them – what the hell did you learn from the bank statement of a three months old company that you could not possibly have known before, except that the company was… three months old?

Would it not have been nicer to have told me a) that my application was rejected and b) why it was rejected before asking me stupid questions on the quality of service offered by Marco?

Marco is fine, your procedures stink but what can I say? If you don’t want my corporate business, have it your way, Visa will get all of it.